The next is a transcript of an interview with GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania that aired Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. He is a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor and joins us from Philadelphia. Congressman, good morning to you. I ponder as a former agent, you've got seen the warrant now, as all of us have. What does it point out to you a couple of potential crime that was dedicated?
REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK: Yeah, thanks for having me. Effectively, I feel it may be summed up in a single line, Margaret, it was an unprecedented motion that must be supported by unprecedented justification. Half A was an unprecedented motion. Sure, we all know that. This has by no means occurred earlier than in our nation's historical past. To the second query, was there unprecedented justification? That continues to be an open query, and we all know precisely the place to look. And that's the affidavit of possible trigger, the one doc that continues to be beneath seal. So as a result of we do not have that info, I've inspired all my colleagues on the left and the precise to order judgment and never get forward of your self as a result of we do not know what that doc comprises. It is gonna to reply lots of questions. Once we had the press convention on Friday with my fellow intelligence committee members, I telegraphed to the press. Then I mentioned, the paperwork that you're going to see unsealed as we speak, which was the affi-, I am sorry, the- the warrant, the author to the warrant and the property receipt, should not going to shed an entire lot of sunshine past the statutes that have been being investigated.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However you voted for a invoice in 2018 that made it a felony to own paperwork or supplies containing categorized info. President Trump signed that very same invoice into legislation. Did he break it?
REP. FITZPATRICK: Effectively, that is what we acquired to seek out out. I imply, no person is claiming and no person must be claiming.–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Effectively, the receipt says that he had categorized and prime secret and above info in bins at Mar-a-Lago.
REP. FITZPATRICK: – Proper. Proper, yeah, No person's claiming that it is okay to have a, actually I am not, that it is okay to have categorized info anyplace exterior of a SCIF. I do know that higher than anyone given my former occupation and my present committee task, however the issue is that the administration is disputing lots of what's being publicly reported. So the affidavit will reply that query. Will probably be in a position to inform us who's offering misinformation. Is it the- the admi- the prior administration or the present administration? And we have to we have to get that clarified.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Effectively, as you recognize, information organizations try to come up with that affidavit. However these aren't usually launched throughout an energetic investigation. Is it acceptable to launch it now within the midst of an investigation?
REP. FITZPATRICK: Effectively, that's- I'd say this, Margaret, on the very least, if they do not need to unseal it for public consumption, they'll actually convey it into the SCIF, to convey it to our Home Intelligence Committee members. We, in any case, do have oversight over the whole intelligence equipment. So that is what's puzzling to us, Margaret, myself, Mike Turner, fabulous member of Congress from Ohio, who's taking a really measured strategy as nicely. We perceive the dynamics of play right here. We simply need to get to the reality. Goal fact. We're not taking any angle from any facet right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And I need to get to a few of that fact and truth, as we all know it extra on the opposite facet of a break. And I additionally need to discuss to you concerning the threats towards legislation enforcement that we're seeing, so please stick with us. And we'll proceed our dialog in only a few minutes. We'll be proper again.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face The Nation. We proceed our dialog now with former FBI agent, now Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Congressman, Breitbart, a conservative web site printed the names of the FBI brokers who went to Mar-a-Lago, and are associated to that, and there at the moment are a spike in on-line threats towards them. I need to play for you the way some Republican Celebration leaders have described occasions of this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISE STEFANIK: The FBI raid of President Trump is a whole abuse and overreach of its authority.
STEVE SCALISE: We're very sturdy supporters of legislation enforcement, and it considerations all people if you happen to see some brokers go rogue and if you happen to see an company that does not have the precise checks and balances on the prime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Is that accountable to refer to those legislation enforcement officers as going rogue?
REP. FITZPATRICk: Yeah, I feel Margaret, and I've urged all my colleagues to verify they perceive the load of their phrases and understanding what we do not know but. That is why that probable-cause affidavit is so necessary. And the unlucky actuality, Margaret, I imply, in my few quick years in Congress, I've seen undermining of all three branches of presidency, result in threats of violence and acts of violence, beginning with the assault on my fellow baseball staff members on the baseball area, to threats to Supreme Court docket justices, to threats to legislation enforcement, each native and in the course of the unrest in the summertime of 2020. And now to federal legislation enforcement. All of it is unacceptable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And now there is a bulletin warning legislation enforcement of the extent of menace proper now. That is why I need to ask you. In a single day, a sequence of statements from the forty fifth president saying "the FBI has a protracted and unrelenting historical past of being corrupt." He mentioned "the FBI's a 'felony RICO enterprise' whose cowl sources and strategies embrace felony acts." His marketing campaign is fundraising off of this and has referred to a military of brokers from the FBI breaking into his dwelling and mentioned that he hopes they don't seem to be planting proof. Is he placing a goal on the again of those FBI brokers?
REP. FITZPATRICK: I checked in with a number of of my colleagues prior to now few days, Margaret, to verify they have been okay. Each single elected official, each single chief must thoughts the load of their phrases. This sort of–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Together with the previous president of america, who has not known as for calm.
REP. FITZPATRICK: Right. I feel all people must be calling for calm, all people throughout the board. And all people must respect our legislation enforcement, whether or not they be native, state or federal. I am very involved, Margaret, for the protection of our legislation enforcement officers, particularly proper now. I, myself, have been notified by the bureau that my life was put at risk not too long ago by a few of these similar folks. And it's- violence isn't the reply to something. We reside in a democracy that is 246 years previous, Margaret. That is not lengthy. That is only a few generations, and but, we are the world's oldest democracy. And the one approach that may come unraveled, is that if we have now disrespect for establishments that result in People turning on People, and the entire system turns into unraveled. And lots of that begins with the phrases we're utilizing. So, I urge all my colleagues, and we have seen disrespect throughout the- throughout the political spectrum, Margaret, which I discussed with native legislation enforcement, with the Supreme Court docket, now federal legislation enforcement. None of it's okay. None of it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should you take the title Donald Trump off of this warrant, are you okay with this raid?
REP. FITZPATRICK: It should not matter. Nobody is above the legislation. That is a precept that every one of us ought to conform to. However all I am saying right here, Margaret, is an unprecedented motion as a result of this can have an effect on different issues. For instance- for instance, lots of us try very hardly to get FISA in Part 702 reauthorized. That is, you recognize, doubtlessly if this have been warrant that was extreme, and we do not know whether or not it was or not. As a result of Margaret, there is a continuum of the way to assemble proof, all the things from the passive service of a subpoena with a future manufacturing date, to the dynamic execution of a search warrant, which we noticed right here. There's lots of issues you are able to do in between, together with a forthwith subpoena the place you current that subpoena. On the door, you do not enter the premises, however you demand prompt manufacturing then in there. We do not know what was acceptable, what was justified or not. And that is why this affidavit is so necessary. That may reply all of the questions. So, I am urging all my colleagues do not prejudge what we do not find out about but. And I am additionally urging all my colleagues to know the load of your phrases and assist legislation enforcement it doesn't matter what.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks very a lot, Congressman Fitzpatrick.